Meant To Be
by Bethgreenewarriorprincess
Summary: What if Daryl and Beth meet when she's 18 and he's 30 on vacation and fall in love. What if life happens and time and distance and circumstances separate them and they lose touch. What if then the stars line back up and they reconnect with today's modern technology. It's been 19 years and all the sudden they are back in each other's lives. Do they have what it takes to make it now?
1. Chapter 1

So the premise of this story is that Daryl and Beth meet when she's 18 and he's 30 while they're at the beach. This story is actually based on a true story and it needed a voice and so here we are. It's based on the premise of soul mates and how sometimes you can meet that one person you're destined to be with and then life intervenes and mistakes and circumstances happen that keep them apart but once in a blue moon, the stars line up once more and maybe just maybe there's a chance for that love to bud and grow all over again. Hope you enjoy this story. It will have 3-4 parts. I have plans to update my other stories soon starting with Naked and Afraid.

Beth Greene stood on the beach, toes digging in the sand, wind whipping at her hair and practically willed the man in the moon to hear her plea once and for all.

She had found him. The one. And right here at Myrtle Beach where her family had come for vacation.

She marveled at the man before her. Daryl Dixon. His name had such a familiar sound to it though she had only known him 6 days. They'd met on her first day here. He was down with his brother Merle though they'd not seen much of him this week. Thank God, because Maggie didn't like him much. She didn't approve of Daryl at first either but Beth had forced them to meet and sit and talk and after Maggie saw how he was with Beth, she totally got it.

The sister pact had been enacted and Maggie had been covering for her ever since so she could sneak out to be with Daryl and spend every possible second with him. She was surprised Maggie had complied. She was her big sister and very protective. They couldn't even tell Shawn about Daryl. He would want to immediately kick his ass no matter the circumstance.

Beth had had to twist her arm a tiny bit, maybe. Even though Maggie was older, their parents were old fashioned and Beth knew enough on Maggie to bury her for life where their Daddy was concerned.

He was staying in the hotel next door to hers and she was going up to get a bite for lunch when he'd been coming down to the beach. Her hat had flown into the wind and he retrieved it for her. They'd said a shy hello and she'd giggled while he placed her hat back on her head. Then, they'd just stood there talking and she'd forgotten all about being hungry or anything else in the world besides him.

After that they became inseparable: Walking on the beach hand in hand. Laughing because she'd just kicked his ass at skeeball again. Going to the Pavilion, the local amusement park, and taking the Ferris wheel to the top and looking out over all the people. Sometimes they made up stories about people they saw; wondering where they were going and what they were doing. It was sort of a game they had.

Daryl's fingers were threaded through hers and she ran her thumb over his and looked up at him. His hair was falling over one eye and he's what her momma would call devastatingly handsome. Her heart tripped in her chest as he turned her in the sand to face him and into his very essence. He pulled her into his arms, one hand at her hip and the other at her shoulder and whispered her name. "Beth." It came out so gruff and so full of need and her heart surged into her throat.

Her eyes met his crystalline blue eyes, shimmering in the moonlight and she was lost. In the best kind of way. "Daryl." She breathed back.

He brought one hand up to the side of her face, fingers skating across her cheek to rest on the side of her head; the other came up to her elbow, his thumb grazing her skin as she felt goosebumps erupt all over her body; what he could do to her with just one touch.

He was going to kiss her. _Finally_.

She tilted her head back just as he dipped his head to hers, his lips meeting hers softly at first. Tentative little pecks against her lips. She knew he would be like this. He was 30 years old and she knew he had little experience with women because he'd confided that in her the first night when he was harping about their age difference.

But that argument was over as he turned his head slightly, slotting his lips over hers more fully, his tongue probing her lips and she submitted herself to him, her lips parting of their own free will. His tongue swept in past her lips and slid alongside hers and she sighed into his mouth.

He had an answering groan before he deepened the kiss further. The wind was still whipping her hair about, but he was doing a pretty good job of keeping it out of the way, his hands coming up to either side of her face, weaving his fingers through her hair as she wound her arms around his back, caressing him through his shirt.

She felt a shudder run through him as he poured his all into their kiss and Beth didn't think her feet were touching the ground any longer. She was swept away in all that was Daryl Dixon and she didn't care if she ever returned. They could stay here locked in this moment forever.

Slowly, his kiss turned softer, more sure with long slow sweeps of his tongue against hers. She was dizzy and breathless and she never wanted this feeling to stop.

Finally, he broke away, his chest heaving and he leaned his forehead against hers. "What are you trying to do to me, girl?" He said gruffly.

She leaned back to look at him and grinned. " _Me_?" She giggled. "That was one hell of a first kiss, Daryl Dixon."

She smiled up at him and saw the corners of his eyes turn up in a smile just as it reached his lips. Then just as quickly it disappeared and was replaced by that familiar scowl of his.

"I can't believe you have to leave tomorrow." He said the blue of his eyes clouding up at bit like it always did when he was deep in thought about something. She'd gotten so she could read him pretty well.

She fought to keep her voice light-hearted when she spoke. "You're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone Daryl Dixon." What she was really saying was she was going to miss him too. Terribly and her heart constricted at the thought of them having to say goodbye tomorrow.

"You bet your sweet ass I am." He chuckled back and she blushed to her toe tips at the mention of her ass.

He pulled on her hand and they walked over to the dunes, and sat down in between two large ones, sea oats and cat-o-nine tails flanking either side of them. It had become their favorite spot on the beach where they spent most of their time when they weren't at the Pavilion goofing off and playing video games.

"I love you Beth." He'd first spoken those words to her after she confessed them to him two nights ago and she didn't think she'd ever tire of hearing him say it.

"I love you too, Daryl." She whispered and they went back to kissing again. This time his kisses were more demanding. Passionate. And she was overtaken. Her body was responding in ways that it hadn't ever with other boys. Men. _Daryl was most definitely not a boy._ Not with the way he was kissing her right now and making her want things she had never wanted before.

He dipped his head to her neck and placed small kisses over the collar of her neck and up to the base of her ear. His voice so gruff and gravelly was nearly her undoing. "You smell so fuckin' good all the time."

He had such a way with words this man and if she hadn't been sitting already she knew her knees would have given out.

"You do too." She breathed back, tilting her neck to give him better access. She felt a wetness gathering between her thighs and she absolutely ached for him to touch her everywhere at once. She was a virgin but she felt like with this man, she might want to change that. In time.

For now she was enyoying the feeling of his lips on her skin. She brought her fingers up to his chest, toying with the fabric of his t-shirt, letting her fingers graze his muscled form. He groaned into her ear and pressed himself against her.

They were all tangled up in each other and sand was everywhere but Beth didn't give a flying flip about any of it as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, her tongue probing his mouth this time and they were then laying back in the sand. His hands came up to her hips, fingers just barely grazing her ass as she laid sideways against him, kissing him, her tongue melding with his.

She wiggled herself against him, trying to tell him that she wanted more. She barely breathed as he dragged his palm slowly up her body, caressing her everywhere he touched and brought his fingers up to her chest, barely palming it. She arched her back and pressed herself into his hand and they both groaned as he found his target.

Rods of pleasure shot through her as Daryl lightly tweaked her nipple through her clothes. She just wanted to be naked with this man and the thought shocked her and thrilled her equally. She had never felt this way about anyone.

Time folded in on itself as it always did when they were together, but this night was different. Maybe it was that she was leaving tomorrow and they did not know when they would see each other again. Maybe it was because they'd waited days for this moment. But there was an urgency there that wasn't there before. Her shirt was now rucked up around her middle as his fingers splayed across her belly, thumb stroking lightly while his tongue was laving at her mouth. Her fingers toyed at his waistband knowing if her fingers crept any further south there wouldn't be any turning back. She knew it within her soul that they were treading a very fine line here.

Their kisses were hungry and scorched her lips and it would forever be seared into her mind how his intoxicating scent filled up her senses as he kissed the very breath out of her. She needed to stop this but she also didn't want to. It was the headiest thing she'd ever felt.

All at once, it was him pulling away. His lips were off hers and he straightened out her shirt, replacing it to rest over her cut-off shorts once more. He sat up and raked a hand through his hair then down the scruff of his beard. "Fucking hell." He whispered. Then looked at her.

And they both burst into laughter at the state they were in. His hair was unkempt and all over his head. His face was red and his chest was heaving. She was much the same way and she hated to think what her hair was doing. He reached over and smoothed one palm down the side of her head, taming the tresses that were blowing in her face.

"You're so goddamned beautiful. What are doing with an old man like me?" She groaned and rolled her eyes at his age old argument.

"Because I love you, silly. That's why. And you're not old." She said with a soft smile as she ran one hand over the scruff of his beard and tugged on the end lightly. "You're distinguished." Her heart tripped in her chest. "So damn sexy." She said and added a sly little grin for good measure. It felt good being cheeky with him like this.

He playfully butted her elbow. "Not as sexy as you are Beth Greene." He said gruffly and then dipped his head to hers for a light kiss.

"We should do something." She said. "Else I'm gonna let you take off all my clothes right here in this sand dune." She laughed but it was true nonetheless.

"Ain't gonna have your first time being out here. I'd never be able to live with myself." He said simply and she knew that to be just as true as how bad she wanted him.

Her stomach let out a growl and she laughed as his eyes met hers. "Let's get something to eat in you. All skin and bones." He said as he stood up and reached his hand down to pull her up beside him.

They brushed the sand off them the best they could and headed for the Pavilion, the lights blinking in the distance. The waves were crashing too loud but Beth knew the carousel was spinning and playing its waltz before they ever got there.

They ordered cheese fries and nachos and sat outside on the boardwalk and talked about what total crap food it was but also how delicious and she'd seemed to work up quite an appetite making out with Daryl. She blushed as she thought about all the places his hands had been not fifteen minutes ago.

"Want to go ride the ferris wheel?" He suggested and she nodded eagerly as they went hand in hand towards the ride. Once they'd waited their turn, they sat inside the car that would take them to the top looking out over the Pavilion. Daryl barely waited for them to ascend halfway in the air before he was turning her towards him to kiss her. It was like he read her mind. Before when they'd ridden, they'd just held hands and she'd wished for this moment and now it was here.

It was dizzying to say the least and everyone was probably watching them from the ground, but she didn't care. She was head over heels in love with this man and loved her back. Life didn't get much better than this, she thought.

As much as she'd looked forward to college and all it had to offer, all the sudden, she was afraid for the future because she wanted this man she was kissing in it and they were going to be so far apart after tonight. She didn't know when she'd see him again. She knew only that her heart belonged to him and it always would.

The rest of the night was spent riding rides, more games of skee ball than she could count and all too soon it was time for her to head back to the hotel where she and her family were staying. They walked down the beach slowly, fingers intertwined and she absolutely dreaded saying goodnight to him. Maggie could only cover for her so long before her parents would get suspicious. She may be 18, but her parents still ran the rules of the house and they still applied on vacation. Her Daddy would skin her hide if he knew what she was up to.

Daryl took her in his arms and kissed her like his life depended on it and it was nice to know that he was feeling all of it too. "I love you babygirl." What he always called her and it melted her heart every time he said it.

"I love you too. I'll sneak away in the morning after check-out. We can meet at our dune to say goodbye." She looked up at him, willing herself not to cry. Not yet. They still had tomorrow morning; more stolen moments from time.

"Goodnight Beth Greene. Sweet dreams." He whispered gruffly and she nodded as she walked away. She didn't dare speak. The tears were already falling down her cheeks. She didn't know how in the hell she was going to be able to say goodbye to him tomorrow.


	2. Man I'd Love to See That Girl Again

**__**"Now nothing seems as strange**__**  
 ** _ _ **As when the leaves began to change**__**  
 ** _ _ **Or how we thought those days would never end**__**  
 ** _ _ **Sometimes I hear that song**__**  
 ** _ _ **And I start to sing along**__**  
 ** _ _ **And think, man, I'd love to see that girl again"**__**

All Summer Long, Kid Rock

July 2018

She'd found him. It had been a lifetime, it seemed. 19 years to be exact, or would be next month. She and Daryl Dixon had drifted apart over time. The distance while she was in college had become too much and the letters and phone calls started to trickle into nothing. Three years after they met, they lost contact and the last time she'd called his number she'd slipped the floor and cried. The number was no longer in service and she'd been morose for weeks though married at the time.

She and Zach had just separated in the last year and Beth was back to working full time as a nurse. They had 3 kids together; Jessica who was now 17, Jenna who was 15, and their youngest Jonah who was 9. She'd put her career on hold the last several years at Zach's insistence that she needed to be there for the kids. Which was fitting, since he never was.

She and Zach had met in college and it was probably when she met Zach that contact between her and Daryl had started to wane. She felt guilty about that now. But at the time, things were so impossible. She had been going to school in New York and he had just taken a job in California. There was no internet back then. They'd stuck to letters and phone calls and sending mix CD's in the mail and small gifts to one another. Long distance phone calls weren't cheap and they talked every Monday night for an hour at 9:00 p.m.

The distance was hard on both of them. She loved him and saved herself for him for a long time until she began to realize that it just wasn't possible.

But now, she stared at her phone Facebook app at Daryl's face and marveled that she had found him after all these years. She had looked for him before with no luck. She could have never imagined Daryl Dixon to have a Facebook, but here he was right in front of her. He didn't look all that different. He would be 49 now to her 36; 37 she corrected herself. She had just had a birthday.

Beth scrolled through his feed, but there was very little there. From what it looked like, a lot of his pictures were of airplanes, military type and she wondered at that. She could not picture Daryl going into the military. She clicked on his about tab and there was little info there either except that he was in Anchorage, Alaska. She almost laughed then. Alaska was further from her than California was. His relationship status was not filled out and she found herself scrolling for any pictures of him with a woman. She was filled with curiosity after finding him finally after all these years.

Finally after scrolling for what seemed like forever, she found a picture with him a girl who looked a bit older than him. He had his arm around her. She wondered if he was married now. For some reason, she couldn't picture that either. He didn't seem like the marrying kind. Not now. Back then, they'd talked about getting married. They were going to run away together that whole year they were "together" but didn't see one another. They made up stories of what their life would be like. Whether or not they'd have children.

For the most part, Beth's life had gone just like those stories. It just didn't include Daryl and perhaps that was her biggest regret. Finally, she clicked the friend request button and closed out the app on her phone. Now, it was just a matter if he'd accept her request. It had been 19 years. Would he even remember who she was?

* * *

Daryl Dixon stared at the notification that came up on his screen. Beth Greene had just friend requested him on Facebook. Beth _motherfucking_ Greene. Those blue eyes and blonde hair were winking back at him, forcing him to remember her and remember what they'd found on that beach together. The rarest thing in the world. He didn't think he'd ever fallen for anyone as hard as he did Beth.

He thought he had fallen for Leah, but that was over now. Had been for a couple of months. Now it was hard to imagine a time when he and Leah had ever been at that point where they were so into what the other was doing and saying. It was strange because he could remember every single minute with Beth Greene.

Merle had talked him into getting Facebook two years ago and he had never done much with it. Posted a few pictures here and there but that was about it. But the past month, he had found himself with a lot of time on his hands after him and Leah split and work was slowing down for him.

He was Lieutenant Colonel Daryl William Dixon in the Air Force now; worlds away from that fly by night redneck nobody he was when he knew Beth. He'd worked for a security company out in California for a year; Merle's idea and it had led into the greatest thing he'd ever done. His military career was almost over. It was something that he had taken to like a fish in water and he'd done pretty damn well for a Dixon.

He was retiring in six months and he didn't know what he was going to do next but he made good money and had invested it wisely over the years. He didn't have to work if he didn't want to. But he was thinking about moving back to Georgia and opening his own motorcycle shop. He liked tinkering with engines and that's what he used to do when he first started in the Air Force: working on airplanes and helicopters.

He still did if the mood struck him right. His subordinates got a kick out of him coming out and smearing himself with monkey grease as he called it. They got a kick out of his southern accent. That hadn't changed much at all. He wondered if Beth still had that sweet voice she'd had back then. He could remember listening to her on the phone and wishing he could transport himself up to her university in New York City where she was studying music. Girl sung like a nightengale and he always had the hope that she would end up on a stage somewhere.

By the time they broke things off, she was thinking about changing her major and wasn't sure what she was going to do. But from scrolling through her Facebook feed, he could see that she was now a registered nurse. He could completely envision her as a nurse. Beth always liked helping people and she didn't have a mean bone in her body. He could see her in a life saving profession.

Her status was listed as single and he wondered at that as he saw several pictures of her with what must be her children. He bet Beth was a good mom. Pictures said a thousand words and every one of hers said she was a good momma to her three children. The two girls looked exactly like her: blonde hair and blue eyes. Her little boy looked different though, dark hair and brown eyes. Daryl imagined he must look like his father. He wondered what had happened in Beth's marriage even though he knew it was none of his damn business. He wondered how someone married to her would ever let her go. He wished he'd never had. He wished he had fought for her harder. He wondered how different his life might have been.

Daryl lived his life for the most part with no regrets, but losing Beth was the biggest one for him. He pressed the accept button and waited. He didn't know what for. Maybe she would see it and message him. He was not big on social media and made a mental note to ask Rick when he saw him later what he should do. Rick had been trying to fix him up with various women, but he always declined. He knew what the dating scene was like from Merle's escapades. He wasn't interested in an endless string of one night stands. He was 49 years old and way too old for that shit.

He sighed and ran a hand over his head. His hair was much shorter now than it was back then. Beth's though was still long and beautiful. _She_ was still beautiful as ever. Fuck. He was remembering how it felt holding her in his arms; so warm and soft and he remembered she always smelled so damn good.

Damn if he knew what to do. He scrolled through her feed and liked a photo of hers. She was in hospital scrubs and standing with a couple of coworkers and her smile was radiant as ever. Her hair was up in her signature ponytail. She wasn't wearing a single braid and he wondered when she had stopped doing that.

They were so much younger back then. It was nearly two damn decades ago. A lot could change in that time. He wasn't the same person. He wondered if Beth still was the same sweet girl he remembered.

"What are you so deep in thought about hoss?" The voice from the doorway brought him out of his day dreaming about Beth Greene. Rick Grimes was leaning against the door jamb looking at him with that same shit-eating grin he always had on his face.

Daryl harumphed. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you." He closed out the app on his phone and laid it on his desk on top of the mountain of paperwork that was going to have to wait until tomorrow at this point. It was almost 1800 hours as it is and his stomach was starting to grumble.

"Try me." Rick said as he walked into Daryl's office and plopped down in the chair across from him and took a swig of water from his bottle. "Damn I wish this was something other than water. A cold beer would taste so good right now."

"You got that right, brother." Daryl said. "'S Beth Greene. She sent me a friend request on Facebook."

Rick let out a low whistle. He knew the whole story, of course. Beth had come up in conversation a few times over the years and after all, it was Rick who recruited him into the Air Force to begin with. Rick had been stationed at Robbins at the time and had convinced Daryl that the thing he needed to do to forget a girl was join the military. It would keep his mind busy and give him a lifelong career. Daryl had been skeptical at the time. Merle had bet he wouldn't last a month, but here he was nearly 20 years later.

"You accept it?" Rick asked, propping his feet up on Daryl's desk.

Daryl nodded. "Now what?"

Rick started laughing, that deep one he had when he thought something was particularly funny and Daryl scowled at him. "It ain't funny man. I haven't talked to her in nearly 20 damn years. What am I gonna say? Hey Beth, how's the last two decades been. Me? Oh I'm great. I'm old as fuck and getting ready to retire and I just ended a 10 year relationship a few months ago and am all alone."

Rick laughed even harder and Daryl took a piece of crumpled paper from his desk and lodged it at Rick's head. Rick looked surprised for a minute and then saw the look on Daryl's face.

"It's gonna be fine. _She_ friend requested _you_. It means she wants to talk to you. Did you like any of her photos?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded again.

"She message you yet?" Rick asked casually like this was something they talked about every day.

Daryl just shook his head. "This just happened. I probably won't ever hear from her." He didn't know why it mattered to him all the sudden that he did, but fucking seven hells, he'd love to talk to her again. And seeing her again? Well, now he couldn't get that out of his head.

"You should message her first." Rick said confidently and Daryl felt his heart catapult into his throat at the thought of talking to her again. It might have been 19 years, but all those feelings were right there at the surface and it bothered him that they were. Getting over Beth Greene was the hardest thing he'd ever done. It had taken him years to feel ready to be involved with anyone again. Leah had been the exception to his rule of swearing off women, but then that ended too.

Fuck, he thought. And pulled his phone back off his desk. "You think I should?" Daryl asked, but he already knew the answer as he pulled up Messenger and her name was right at the top of the list.

Rick nodded his head. "What have you got to lose?"

As Daryl typed out and pressed send on his simple message of "Hello, Beth Greene" he knew the answer to that too: _his heart._

* * *

There you go lovelies: the second installment to this saga. I think it's going to be longer than I anticipated. What I thought was going to be 3-4 chapters might take 6 or 7. This one took longer than I thought because it has to be done a certain way. Hope you guys liked it. The angst is killing me already. How about y'all?

And no they didn't get tell each other goodbye that next morning. I will explain why in a later chapter. Are y'all dead from feels yet? Because seriously, it's killing me to write this slow burn. Buckle up buttercups; it's gonna be quite the ride. Until next time xoxoxo


	3. Time Has Brought Your Heart to Me

_**One step closer**_

 _ **I have died every day waiting for you**_

 _ **Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you**_

 _ **For a thousand years**_

 _ **I'll love you for a thousand more**_

 _ **And all along I believed I would find you**_

 _ **Time has brought your heart to me**_

 _ **I have loved you for a thousand years**_

 _ **I'll love you for a thousand more – A Thousand Years, Christina Perri**_

Chapter 3: Time Has Brought Your Heart To Me

Beth worked on getting supper fixed for the kids. Their father would be there to pick them up at 6:30 since it was his week with them beginning tonight. Beth had the next three days off and she had no idea what she was going to do with all her time but as she prepared pasta sauce and noodles and garlic bread she thought she might be spending time thinking about Daryl Dixon. She could not get him out of her head now that she'd found him and she found herself remembering how it was with them back then; how everything was life and death and she just wanted every spare second with him when they were at the beach together.

She had been devastated when her Daddy had woken up extra early that next morning they were leaving the beach and announced he wanted to get an early start. She and Daryl weren't supposed to meet at their dune for hours and she knew her father when he was ready for a trip. He meant business. She spent the next hour packing frantically so she'd have time to maybe sneak away to his hotel room though she'd never been there before. She knew the room number and that was it. She would be lucky to sneak away for five minutes and she mentally calculated how long it would take her to take the elevator versus the stairs.

She finally had her moment and she took it, shooting a look at Mags to cover for her. Maggie knew even if they hadn't spoken a word around their parents. She knew how important it was that she get to tell Daryl goodbye.

Her heart in her throat, she sprinted down the hotel steps and out the door and went next door to Daryl's hotel and went up the 7 floors to his room and knocked gingerly. There was no answer at her first knock so she knocked again, this time more firmly. She paced back and forth. They were leaving Myrtle Beach in ten minutes. She didn't know what she would do if she couldn't tell him goodbye. Last night wasn't good enough and it couldn't be the last time she'd feel his lips on hers. She'd barely gotten any time to get used to it the night before and all she wanted was more.

After 2 minutes waiting and pacing, Beth realized that he must not be in his room or was fast asleep and couldn't hear her knocking. She took out the letter she had scribbled out, just in case and even though she knew he had her phone number and address she'd listed it too.

 _Dear Daryl,_

 _I am so sorry I can't tell you goodbye. Mama and Daddy are raring to go this morning and want to get back to the farm and I have no choice. I wish I could stay here. I wish we could run away together like we said. I was wrong Daryl. You might miss me when I am gone but I am going to miss you so much, I don't think I can bear it. I love you so much. Don't forget to call and write. We will see each other again one day. I just know it._

 _All my love,_

 _Beth_

She could remember even now every single word she'd penned. She had left his hotel and went back to hers with her heart feeling like it was broken in a million pieces. The whole ride home, she spent with her hood on her head, headphones in her ears and her face turned to the window so her family couldn't see the tears as they made their way down her cheeks.

Tears filled her eyes now and she tried to tell herself it was because of the onion she was chopping, but she knew she was lying to herself. All those old feelings were right there at the surface, begging to be scratched at.

"Get a grip Beth Greene." She told herself. She had changed her name back to Greene with the divorce and it felt good to be back to her old self again. But here she was: 36 years old and pining for a man who was halfway across the globe practically and probably didn't even remember who she was.

The kids ate amicably for a change and there were no major wars. On exchange days, they always seemed to be on their best behavior and even Jonah was using all his table manners. She smiled at her children as they talked about their plans with their father for the week. Zach had uncharacteristically taken the week off and was taking them to the amusement park. Jonah was particularly excited because he was now tall enough to ride most of the grown up rides.

Beth's phone chimed from the kitchen as the kids began to clean their plates from the table. "Momma can I have another piece of bread." Jonah called from the kitchen.

"Of course baby." Beth replied distractedly as she picked up her phone from the counter. Holy hell, Daryl Dixon had accepted her friend request. She stared at it in shock, wondering what to do next. She opened up messenger and flirted with the idea of sending him a message but what could she say after all these years.

"Hi Daryl it's me, Beth. How's your life? Me? Oh I'm a divorced single mom of 3 kids." Yeah, she didn't think so. Even all these years later, she cared what he thought of her and her failed marriage was not something she was proud of, even though none of it had truly been her fault, especially the cheating. She had been a faithful wife all these years and it had gotten her nothing but heartache. She was over Zachary but she still held steel bars around her heart for what he'd done to her.

But Daryl? Daryl was different altogether. Theirs was a love separated by time and distance and circumstance. She didn't have any regrets; she had three beautiful children, the best part of Zach, but she wondered what her life would be like if she and Daryl had ended up together.

She was still wondering this and staring at messenger when the little ellipsis began to flash as if he was in the message box.

Then his message popped up. "Hello, Beth Greene." Oh my god, she thought! He remembered her.

She typed back her reply, the first thing off the top of her head. "It's you! Finally." Before she thought about it.

"Myrtle Beach." Was his reply and she wrote back feverishly.

"I never could forget you." Nothing like putting it all out there. She wondered what Daryl was thinking and she had a sudden craving to hear his voice, that rough and gravelly Southern drawl she had gotten addicted to back then.

"Me either." His message popped back up into the chat and her heart went from being in her throat to her gut with those two tiny words. He never forgot her either.

The doorbell rung and snapped her out of her trip down memory lane. "I have to see my kids off with their father. I'll be back in five minutes. I would love to catch up." That was cool and simple and breezy, she thought. And waited while his ellipsis flashed at the bottom of the screen.

"Sounds great." He replied and Beth's heart surged at the thought of getting to talk to him again. Her mind was spinning and she could barely concentrate as she told her children goodbye. She and Zach kept their conversation to things about the kids. She reminded him to take Jonah's tablet away at bedtime. Otherwise he was prone to stay up far too late playing Minecraft. She knew she was wasting her breath. Zach took his time with the kids but for the most part, he left care of Jonah up to the girls. She sighed as she closed the door and tried not to sprint for her phone in the kitchen.

She picked it up and again her heart surged into her throat. She couldn't live like this! Her anxiety was tanked up to about a thousand watts right now and she didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that she felt giddy all the sudden.

She typed out a quick message. "Okay, I'm back." She pondered over what else to write and finally decided on the basics. "So how have you been the last couple decades. lol." She smiled to herself, hoping Daryl would find the humor in it too and maybe they could break the ice. Ice because she needed something to kill the fire that was all the sudden burning up within her. Daryl freaking Dixon, Beth thought with a grin and fought the urge to get up and dance around her messy kitchen. She needed to tidy up after dinner but she just wanted to talk to Daryl. It reminded her of before, when they were so far apart but still kept up with letters and their one weekly phone call.

After every call, she'd lie in her bed and daydream about her and Daryl meeting face to face again and how she'd fall into his arms. She wondered if they'd pick up where they left off on that beach. If she'd give herself to him. Maggie had asked repeatedly if they'd had sex and Beth had vehemently denied it, face turning red. Now, she wondered if things would be different if she and Daryl had gone all the way that night. She suspected it would have made things worse when it finally ended between them.

Daryl's message popped up on her screen. "I've been good. Getting ready to retire from the Navy soon. Been in almost 20 years now. How have you been?"

Beth typed back her reply as fast as her fingers would allow. "That's wonderful!" She was so proud of him and his achievements but they would get to that she was sure. She forged ahead. "I'm good." She decided to be honest. "Actually, I'm doing okay I guess. I am divorced now and have three kids. But I am a nurse and have a great job so I can't really complain." She pressed send before she could change her mind and waited. It seemed to take forever for him to type a response.

"Sorry to hear about your divorce. I looked at your profile. Your kids are beautiful. Your girls look just like you. I can totally see you being a nurse." God, how she longed to hear his voice. She could hardly stand it. She had so many questions.

"Thank you. Daryl I really never forgot you. I have been trying to find you for years." There was really no point in playing coy. That had never been their style. They had basically fallen for each other instantly and had always been nothing but truthful with one another. And besides, what did Beth have to lose; well besides losing him. It was still the hardest thing she'd ever been through in retrospect. With Zach, all she felt was that she had made a horrible mistake in marrying him. But with Daryl, she felt full of regret that they hadn't tried harder; fought harder for their love.

"I didn't forget you either. I couldn't even if I tried. It took me a long time to get over you, Beth Greene." He said. Someone may as well have stabbed her in the chest, the pain was so sharp and stark. She read back over his words again and again. _Of course_ it had taken him a long time.

Before she could type her reply, she got another message from him. "And I tried to find you too." There it was again. Her heart jumping up from where it was supposed to be. What did that mean? If they were both trying to find one another? Logic told her that they had unfinished business, but what did it mean to him.

"Well, I'm glad we found each other." She replied. "This is weird, huh? 19 years!" It was surreal. She and Daryl had each lived a lifetime really in the time they had spent apart. Was he still the same? Was _she_? She liked to think that 17 year old girl was still inside of her somewhere.

They spent the next 40 minutes chatting back and forth and she finally got up the nerve to ask him to just call her already.

Her heart fell when she got his reply. "Let me work myself up to it Beth. It's a LOT to me to be talking to you again. Back then, seeing you again seemed impossible. But now?" His message trailed off and Beth was practically begging him to pop up another message. She waited interminably for his reply.

"Damn, Beth, I really want to see you again. If that's somethin' you'd even want." His reply blinked back blue and she felt tears welling up in her eyes for some damn reason. She felt just like she did all those years ago.

"Yes. I do. Very much, Daryl Dixon. I missed you so much." She had missed him ever since she was that girl who had to drive away from him all those years ago. Yeah, that 17 year old girl was inside her still. Who knew she'd find her now. She thought maybe, just maybe, that part of her had been with Daryl all along.

* * *

Well there you go lovelies, the third chapter of Meant to Be. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry it took so long to get this out; I have been working a lot of hours lately. Thanks for being such loyal and lovely readers and for the wonderful comments on this story so far. Until next time, xoxoxo


	4. Thunderstruck

_Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder  
I was caught  
In the middle of a railroad track  
I looked round  
And I knew there was no turning back  
My mind raced  
And I thought what could I do  
And I knew  
There was no help, no help from you  
Sound of the drums  
Beating in my heart  
The thunder of guns  
Tore me apart  
You've been  
Thunderstruck _

– Thunderstruck by AC/DC

Daryl picked up and put down his phone about 12 times before finally placing it in the bedroom on the charger and leaving it there. It was driving him crazy. Girl hadn't been back in his life more than 24 hours and already he was half crazy wanting to talk to her all the time.

He hadn't worked up the nerve to call her yet but thought he might later if she ever signed back on. He knew she was busy. She had told him she had a 3:00 p.m. yoga class she didn't want to miss and then she was going to run by the store. It was close to 5:00 p.m. And he was mentally berating himself for wondering what was taking her so long and for whatever reason, it was always Merle's big mouth in his head speaking the things that Daryl feared the most. "She ain't got time for your ass, boy. Probably just looking to scratch an itch she's had for the last 20 years. Then she'll be gone again. Into the wind, just like last time. Best move on." There it was.

His worst fear. That she'd disappear on him again. He'd driven her from his mind once but it had taken hell and earth to get there. He went running one night shortly after he'd been done with boot camp, feeling like he was chasing after something and running from a demon all at the same time. _He'd lost her. He'd lost her. He'd lost her._ His feet pounded into the pavement on the base he was stationed at the time and he was winded but drove himself on. Like he was running all night to catch his breath, he pounded her memories out of the soles of his feet and blasted AC/DC on his CD player. Did it every night like he was exorcising a demon.

Beth was more like an angel that had worked her way under his skin like no one else ever had. But losing her felt like the devil had been right on his back telling him everything he'd ever thought about himself was true. That he was a good for nothing, nobody redneck that didn't deserve love. He ran every night for a solid year before it was finally something he did to work off the stress of the day instead of trying to get Beth Greene out of his mind.

Fat lot of good it did him. Here he was back in the same place feeling like he was mentally chasing her down again. _Damn it Dixon, get a fuckin' grip._ She's at yoga. Damn if that didn't do something to his brain too: thinking about her in tight yoga pants. Doing all those poses he'd only seen on TV. Fuck, he needed to stop that line of thinking right there. It wasn't leading to anywhere good if he didn't.

He turned on the water to his shower and began to undress, thinking about his and Beth's conversation the night before and this morning. They'd talked until nearly 2:00 a.m. when they'd both finally conceded that they needed sleep.

He'd been shocked with the first voice clip she sent him. He wasn't stupid. She was enticing him on purpose into talking over the phone. And damn if it wasn't going to work. That sweet Southern drawl hadn't changed one bit and hearing her voice, he could suddenly remember exactly what her lips had tasted like: like a drip of honey warmed from the sun streaming in the kitchen window.

That was another thing. No one but Beth had ever made him think poetic shit up like that. He shook his head recalling everything she had told him about her life. It was a damn shame about her divorce but he literally couldn't understand for the life of him why someone would cheat on a girl like Beth Greene. He didn't know her now, but from what he was getting to know, he could tell she was the same good fucking hearted girl she was back when they met.

He knew if he ever got a chance with her again, he'd never let her go. Now where the hell did that thought come from? They hadn't even really discussed meeting yet. They both wanted to, but here he was getting the cart before the horse, so to speak.

He swore every time he thought about seeing her again, his heart started flipping around like a fish out of water, beating against his rib cage, trying to swim for freedom. He wondered if he could kiss her, get a taste of that fresh squeezed sunshine straight off of her lips.

With that thought, his dick had an opinion about that too, feeling it twitch against his leg as he finished his shower and dried off. _Goddammit Dixon, get your fuckin' act together,_ he thought to himself.

Thunderstruck. That's what he was. That was the damn song he'd played infinitely while he pounded out the pavement trying to run from her memory.

She'd come into his life like a storm and he was left standing with the thunder still pounding in his ears. Lightning flashes of memories of her pulsating in his mind. And here he was again. Thunderstruck all over again.

He changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt and padded barefoot into his bedroom and wanted to ignore his phone, but found himself walking towards it anyways. There were five messages from her when he opened his blinking messenger app. There went his heart again, flopping around like a dumb fish.

"I'm back." The first one said. Followed by "Yoga was great. Just showered. What are you doing?" Then a couple of minutes later. "I'm trying to decide if I even want to bother with dinner. There's no one here but me. Bowl of cereal or bowl of soup? You choose. Lol" Then "Campbell's Chicken noodle is what I want but the kids ate it all. I wish I'd known that when I was at the store. #momlife" Finally, "Where are you? I have been waiting to talk to you ever since I left." He felt the corners of his lips turn up at reading it.

Girl disappeared for two hours and he doesn't answer for five minutes and she was ready to send out a search party. That was Beth Greene. Still bossy as all hell. Still smiling, he typed out his reply. "Hold your horses, girl. I been right here. You're the one that left." He pressed send before he realized the implications of what she might read into it. All the sudden, he was flashing back to when he'd gotten her letter under his hotel room door and his heart had fallen to his feet. He'd run out into the parking lot and across the street, bare feet and out of breath as he searched for her family's car. It was gone. All that time they'd had together. He'd found the love of his life. And now she was just gone.

He hurriedly typed back another message. "How was yoga? You do all them weird poses and shit. Down dog something? Lol"

"hahaha Yoga was awesome as usual. It's downward facing dog, Daryl. I think I need to teach you some yoga moves." Her reply blinked back at him and his mind saw it as an invitation for all sorts of bad thoughts. He could think of her teaching him yoga ending one of two ways, him getting injured from twisting his old body into positions it was not equipped for anymore or with him jumping Beth Greene's bones. There was no in between in his opinion.

He had a hell of a lot of self restraint but he didn't think God himself expected him to resist Beth Greene in a tight pair of yoga pants.

"I'd probably sprain my groin. And my ego. Lol" He replied lightly.

"Daryl I'm sorry for what happened between us. It's my biggest regret. I never forgot you." He didn't know what to say back to that. Suddenly he had a need to hear her voice. He clicked the telephone button in the top corner and pressed the phone to his ear waiting for her to answer.

"Hi!" Her voice was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard, he swore to God and he could no longer remember why he was hesitant to call her the night before.

"Hey, girl. Thought I'd call ya like ya wanted me to." He said lightly. Who was he kidding really? Beth could ask for anything in the world and he'd give it to her if he could. A phone call wasn't nothing.

"I'm so glad you did. Was dyin' to hear your voice. And now that I have, you may never get me off the phone." Her melodic laugh rang across the line and landed square in his chest. "I meant what I said though. I'm sorry for what happened. It was a lifetime ago, I know, but I have so many regrets about us. The odds were so stacked against us back then. We were younger." Her voice hesitated. She wasn't going to bring up their age difference. She knew how much it bothered him then; strange, how now it didn't even matter. "Now it could be different". She let her voice trail off and his heart did that fishy flip-flop thing again and he felt like he was going to throw up. What was she saying?

"Beth, you don't gotta apologize." That's not what he wanted to say. He wanted her to explain what her 'now' meant but he was too chickenshit to cop to that.

"But I do. If we're gonna move forward with this. You were serious about wanting to meet again, right?" Her breathless voice landed on his ears again and he thought he could jump through the phone, he wanted to reach out and touch her so bad. It was an overpowering urge like nothing else he'd ever felt; except maybe 19 years ago when it all started. He felt 30 years old again when he'd first run his fingers through those blonde waterfall curls. And he wanted to do it all over again. He realized he hadn't spoken and she was still waiting on his answer.

""F course I was serious, Beth. I can't wait to see you again. Been waiting ever since you walked into your hotel that last night." He heard her breath catch on the other end and it did something to his insides and all the sudden he was so glad he called her, so glad he reached out and messaged her. And at the same time, he wanted to rewind time and remember how it felt to hold her in his arms. It was like it was yesterday and a lifetime ago all at the same time.

"Me too, Daryl. I don't know how soon you can manage it. My schedule is crazy the next couple of months with work and the kids' activities for summer camp and what not. I know when I see you, a couple of days isn't going to be enough time." She finished.

He snorted. "You ain't kiddin'. A few days wasn't enough the last time." He didn't finish what he was thinking; that a lifetime wouldn't be enough to be able to walk beside Beth Greene and just live life together. He nearly choked on his heart as it catapulted into his throat on that last thought. A lifetime with Beth Greene? He couldn't be that lucky. He counted it as double luck right now. He was lucky to have met her 19 years ago, but if he got to see her again; that had to be something pretty damn close to fate, didn't it?

Then again, he was a Dixon and good things normally didn't come to them that often. He'd lost her once. He didn't know if he could do it again, but here she was suggesting they meet face to face.

"I'm gonna be honest right now and tell you I'm scared shitless to see you again." He decided to be honest with her, because as Rick had said he didn't have anything left to lose.

" _Your dignity, you dumbshit_." He chose to ignore Merle's nagging voice in the back of his mind.

"Why?" Her voice was a mixture of sadness and wonder and he wanted to soak in every word she spoke, he just couldn't get enough of it. "I mean, I'm nervous too, I gotta admit. I have...I have butterflies." She laughed a little and that coaxed a smile from him despite himself. Leave it to Beth Greene to make him feel better about things. She had that way about her.

"Yeah, that's what I'm feeling. Butterflies." He didn't care if he sounded like a pussy admitting all this to her. Here she was back in his life and for whatever reason, he felt more himself than he'd felt in a long time. Like he'd found his best friend again.

"Good, then we're on the same page. So we both have butterflies and want to meet up again. How about we get to know one another all over again? Find out who we are. What makes us tick?" she suggested with her sweet as honey voice and it sure sounded good to him.

"Sound good to me Beth." He heard a little groan on the other end. "You okay?" He asked. Maybe she'd stubbed her toe or something.

"I'm fine. Just love hearing you say my name is all." She giggled a little and he felt himself flush to his eyebrows. So if that little groan hadn't been pain then... He didn't get to finish the thought before she changed the subject.

"What's your favorite color?" She asked.

"Blue." He anwered automatically. It hadn't always been, but after he'd met her, blue became his favorite. It reminded him of the cut off jean shorts she'd worn at the beach and most of all of her luminescent eyes blinking back at him as he'd kissed her goodnight. "What's yours?"

"Same." She laughed.

"Is it really or are you copying me?" He laughed back.

Her giggles coming across the line did a number on his heart that was for sure. "Yes, really! I'm not copying you. Daryl Dixon, are you flirting with me?" She asked and well hell, he guessed he was.

"Yeah. You like it?" He asked, trying to be nonchalant but knew his voice barely squeaked out that last word.

The breathy sigh on the other end was all the answer he needed but she answered him anyway. "I do. I like it very much."

Seven fucking hells, it was gonna be a long two months wait to see her. A long damn time indeed.

 **AN: This chapter was totally Daryl centric because I needed to get back in his head space again and wanted you guys to see things from his perspective on what happened when they parted ways all those years ago. It is going to be WAY more chapters than I thought.**

 **I am sorry this update took too long. Work has been heinous lately and I finally got my batteries charged the last couple days after working 75 hours in 6 days. Hope you liked it and I hope to get another chapter out by the end of the weekend so long as this storm doesn't knock out our power. Fingers crossed! Lol Until next time, xoxoxo**


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